This invention generally relates to communication networks, and more specifically, to providing each node of a multi-node communication network with fair access to the network. Even more specifically, the invention relates to transmitting control signals over a multi-node communication network and which control the access that each node has to that network.
In large multi-node communication networks, typically, the access that each node has to the network is controlled by signals that are transmitted around the network; and for example, the control signals may give each node a predetermined amount of time to access the network, or allow each node to transmit a predetermined number of data packets into the network. Conventional access control schemes have not been specifically designed for use with high-speed communication networks, which is a new environment, motivated largely by advances in fiber optics technology. Such networks cannot operate optimally under conditions that may cause deadlocks or that may starve certain nodes. This is because these phenomena may require nodes to wait for long periods of time before being given access to the network, or may require the repeated invocation of various recovery procedures that decrease the speed at which the network operates.